Netflix’sOzarkreplacement show,The Waterfront,is a brand-new original series that has now spent the past two weeks as the #1 English show on Netflix’s global streaming charts.
AfterThe Waterfrontbecame a global streaming hitduring its impressive opening week following its August 02, 2025, premiere, the series has surged even higher up the streaming charts. It improved from 8.3 million views in its debut week to an astounding11.6 million views in its second week alone, according to data fromNetflix.
Holt McCallany leadsthe cast ofThe Waterfrontalongside Jake Weary, Melissa Benoist, Maria Bello, Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González, andTopher Grace in a fantastic villain role. The series was developed byKevin Williamson, ofScreamandDawson’s Creekacclaim.
What The Waterfront’s Viewership Dominance Means For Its Future
The Waterfront Has Amassed Just Under 20 Million Views In 2 Weeks
The Waterfront’sweek-two performance on Netflix was either going to make or break the series. It’s safe to say that afteradding over 3 million viewers in its second week viewership total,The Waterfronthas become an undeniable streaming hit for Netflix.
The Waterfrontmay not stack up to the brilliance ofOzarkafter one season, but its continued streaming popularity certainly indicates that the show is clicking with millions of viewers.
Netflix’s Emmy-winning family crime drama showOzark, which many have compared toThe Waterfront, ran for four seasons and became one of the best original Netflix series ever made.The Waterfrontmay not stack up to the brilliance ofOzarkafter one season, but its continued streaming popularity certainly indicates that the show is clicking with millions of viewers.
The Waterfronthas surpassed the opening 2-week viewershipfor another new Netflix drama series,Ransom Canyon, which amassed 16.6 million views in its first two weeks. The Western series, which was released back in April, has already been greenlit for a second season at Netflix. SinceThe Waterfrontoutperformed its two-week opening numbers, it should only be a matter of time before Netflix greenlights a second season.
Williamson already has at least two more seasons ofThe Waterfrontplanned out, which is a promising sign for the show’s renewal. The story is surprisingly personal toWilliamson, who spoke withScreen Rantabout how McCallany’s hardened patriarch character was loosely inspired by his own father. Additionally, Williamson grew up near Wilmington and Southport, North Carolina, whereThe Waterfrontwas filmed.
Our Take On The Waterfront Becoming A Netflix Hit
It’s No Ozark, But It Certainly Is Connecting With Audiences
The Waterfrontstill has a long way from being considered in the same league asOzark. That said,viewership remains king at Netflix, and it certainly is succeeding in that field, regardless of its critical reception. It has aRotten Tomatoesscore of 65% at the time of writing.
The Waterfrontmight not actually be theOzarkreplacement viewers had hoped for, and that’s perfectly fine. One thing thatOzarknever was is soapy, whichThe Waterfrontoften falls victim to, especially between the dynamics of Weary’s Cane Buckley and his high school sweetheart, Jenna.
Based on these chart-topping numbers,The Waterfront’scliffhanger ending in season one now looks to have a great chance of being resolved in a highly likely second season.
